Peters



(No Model.) T 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. P. BROWN 81; F. E. STRATTON.AUTOMATIC CABLE ROAD SWITCH. No. 338,823. Patented Mar. 30, 1886.

(Nb Model.) 2 She et s-Sheet 2.

A. F. BROWN & F. EJSTRATTON AUTOMATIG GABLE ROAD SWITGH. No. 338,823.Patented Mar. 30,1886.

EJNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEQ ARTHUR F. BROWN AND FRANCIS E. STRATTON,OF SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.

AUTOMATIC CABLE-ROAD SWITCH,

PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,823, dated March 30,1886.

Application filed October 15, 1885.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR F. BROWN and FRANCIS E. STRATTON, both ofthe city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have inventedan Improvement in Automatic Cable-Road Switches 5 and we hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

Our invention relates to a new and useful automatic switch for cablerailways.

It consists of a throw or switch rail for the main and branch tracks,amovable throw-plate for the slots of said tracks, and mechanism operatedby the approaching grip-car for operating the throw-rail andslot-plates, all of which we shall hereinafter fully describe.

The object of our invention is to provide a means for switching a carautomatically, thereby dispensing with the services of a man at theswitch-point.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanationof ourinvention, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing our switch. Fig.2 is a view of the grip, showing the lug T, which operates the switch.Fig. 3 is a plan showing the plate F F.

A represents the various underground framework of a cable-road bed, saidframe being of any suitable construction and adapted to receive a propertraveling cable, which is unnecessary herein to show.

Bis the main or straight track, and Cis the branch or divergent track.

D is the usual grip-slot of the main track, and D that of the branchtrack.

E is the throw or switch rail, which by its movement determines thedirection of the car.

F are two plates, which are alternately adapted to form one wall or sideof the gripslots. One of these plates (here shown as the right-hand one)is adapted when moved into position to continue the line of the mainslot. The other is adapted to shut off the line of the main slot andopen that of the branch slot. These plates are seated on bed-pieces f,and are guided in their movements by means of studs f, which fit throughcurved or eccentric slots f in the plates. These slots are so curved asto enable the plates to move with accuracy to and from their position,and the ends of the slots are bent, so that when the Serial No. 180,018.(No model.)

plates are in position a lateral pressure-such as would be exertedupontheir edges by passing grips-will not move them from their places.

Pivoted or journaled in the underground frame of the road-bed arehorizontal rockshafts G, the inner ends of which are provided withupwardly-extending arms 9. Their outer ends have cranks g, from whichconnecting-rods H extend to the ends of a centrallypivoted transverselever, I. To this lever,at its center, is rigidly secured a crank-arm,i, to the forward end of which is pivoted a link, J, the other end ofwhich is pivoted to the lower end of a lever, K, which is centrallypivoted at k in a vertical frame or standard, It. The upper end of thelever K has pivoted to it a link, L, the other end of which is pivotedto the throw or switch rail E by means of a small pin, 1. By thismechanism the movement of the arms 9 of the rock-shaftsGcauses, throughthe several levers and connecting devices described, the movement of thethrow or switch rail to open or close the main track or the divergent orswitch track. The amount or degree of the movement of this switch-railmay be regulated by attaching the link J in any of a series of holes,1', in the crank-arm i of the lever I.

Pivoted to the lever I on each side of its fulcrum-point areconnecting-rods M, the other ends of which are attachedto crank-arms aon the vertical shafts N, pivoted in the frame of the road-bed. Theupper ends of these shafts are provided with cranks a, from which extendconnecting-rods O, the forward ends of which are pivoted to the rearends of the slotplates F, heretofore described. Now the movement of thearms g of the rock-shafts G effects, through the levers and connectingdevices described, the movement of the slotplates to open and close themain slot or the branch slot. The perfect continuation of these slots iseffected by means of a small shoulder or rabbet, Q, on the forward endsof the movable slot-plates, which abuts against the end of the plateq,intervening between the two slots."

S is the grip-car, provided with a grip, s, of any suitableconstruction.

In the rear of the grip-frame we provide a lug, T, which is pivoted in aslot, t, in the 5 In order to properly hold and guide the swinging lugT, we have a bearing, U, seated in guides a in the grip-frame andadapted to travel back and forth therein. To the forward end of thisbearingis pivoted a link, V,which extends into a slot in the rear-of thelug, and is pivoted therein at o. The bearing Uslides back and forth inits guides in a straightline as thelug is turned from side to side, andwhen back against its seat provides resistance for the lug and holds itsteady.

The operation of our device is as follows: Suppose the car is amain-line car. As itapproaches the switchingpoint the gripman turns thelug T in the grip-frame, say, to the right. The lug will therefore comein contact with the arm 9 on the right and force said arm forward, whichmovement causes the throwrail E to move to the right, opening the maintrack, and also causes the right-hand slotplate, F, to move over to itsposition, and the left-hand slot-plate to recede therefrom,whereby themain slot is opened and the side or branch slot is closed. The next carbeing for the branch line, the gripman moves the-lug T with theleft-handarm 9, and the reverse of the operation previously described takesplace.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railway-switch, the mechanism by which the throw-rail isoperated, comprising the rock-shafts G, having arms 9 and cranks g, thepivoted lever I, and connecting-rods H, the crank i of said lever, thepivoted verticallever K, and the links J L, and a lug on the travelingcar, adapted to come in contact with an arm of the rock-shafts,substantially as herein described.

2. In a cable railway switch, the throwrail E, the rock-shafts G in theunderground frame-work of the road bed, having arms 9 and cranks g, andsuitable levers and connecting-rods between'said cranks and thethrowrail, in combination with a swinging lug on the grip-frame of thegrip-car, adapted to come in contact with the arms of the rockshafts,substantially as herein described.

3. In a cable railway switch, the throwrailE andthe mechanism in theunderground frame-work of the road-bed, comprising the rock-shafts G,having arms 9 and cranks g, the connecting rods H, the lever I, havingcrank-arm z, the link J, the lever K,and the link L, in combination withthe grip ofthe grip-car, having a lug, T, in its frame, adapted-to. bemoved at right angles with said frame on one side or the other, wherebyit comes in contact with one or the other of the arms 9 of therockshafts, substantially as herein described.

4. In a cable-railway switch, the oppositelylocated plates F, adapted tomove longitudiover to the left, whereby it comes in contact,

nally and laterally to open and closethe main and, branch grip-slots. ofthe road-bed alternately, substantially as herein described.

alternately, and a mechanismconnected with said plates and operated bythe approachlng grip-car for operating theplates, substantially asherein described. 7

6. In a cable railway switch, the movable plates F, having the curved oreccentric slots f 2 in them, and the fixed studs f, passing into saidslots, by which the plates are properly guided and adapted to open orclose the main and branch grip-slots of the road-bed alternately, incombination with mechanism connected with said plates and operated; bythe approaching grip-car for moving the plates, substantially as hereindescribed. 7

7. In a cablerailway switch, the movable. plates F, adapted to open orclose the main and branch grip-slots alternately, incombination with themechanism by which said plates are operated, consisting of therock-shafts G in the underground frame-work of the road-- bed, saidshafts having arms g and cranksg, and connecting mechanism between saidcranks and the plates, and a lug on the gripof the grip-car, adapted tocome in contact with the arms 9 of. the rock-shafts, substantially asherein described.

8. In a cable-railway switch, the oppositelymoving plates F on each sideof the maingripslot at its junction with the branch griprslot, tidplates having shoulders Q, in combination with the plate g at thejunction of thevslots, against the end of which the shoulders of platesF abut when moved as described, substantially as herein described.

'9. In a cable-railway switch, the platesF, resting on bed-pieces on.each side of the gripslot, and having the eccentricslotsf, guided onfixed pins, and shoulders Q on the forwardends, and a means for movingsaid plates, as

.7 5. In a cable-railway switch, the oppositelylocated plates F, adaptedto have a longitudinal and lateral movement to open or,close the mainand branch grip-slots of the road-bed described, in combination with theplate-q at the junction of the main and branch grip-slots, against theend of which the shoulders of plates F are moved to openand close theslots,

substantially as herein, described.

10. In a cable-railway switch,the oppositelymoving plates F, adapted toopen and close the main and branch grip-slots-of the roadr'bedalternately, in combination with the rockshafts G, having arms g and;cranks gt, the

connecting-rods H, the lever I, the connect-- ing-rods M, the verticalshafts,- N, having crank-arms n n, and the connecting-rods 0, and a lug,T, on the grip canadapted to come in contact with the arms g of therock-shafts,

substantiallyas herein described.

11. In a cable railway switch, the main track, the branch track, and the-throw-rai-l, the main slot, the branch slot, and the oppositelymovingplates F of the slots, as de-v scribed, in combination with themechanism its by which the throw-rail is operated, and by which theplates are moved to open and close the slots alternately, consisting ofthe rocklug T in the grip-frame, and the spindle t, by which it isoperated, in combination with the 15 sliding bearing U and the pivotedlink V, connecting said bearing with the lug, substantially as hereindescribed.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

ARTHUR F. BROWN. FRANCIS E. STRATTON.

\Vitnesses:

S. H. Noonsn, H. G. LEE.

